The Himachal Pradesh government on Tuesday introduced a bill that sought amend the Indian Stamp (Himachal Pradesh Amendment) Bill 2013 to reduce the stamp duty for women from 5% to 4%.

The Himachal Pradesh government on Tuesday introduced a bill that sought amend the Indian Stamp (Himachal Pradesh Amendment) Bill 2013 to reduce the stamp duty for women from 5% to 4%.

Introducing the bill in the House, revenue minister Thakur Kaul Singh said the neighbouring states - Haryana Uttarakhand and Delhi - had also reduced the stamp duty for women.

It was felt necessary to reduce the stamp duty for the empowerment of women, said the minister, adding that to avoid loss to the state exchequer the stamp duty has been increased from 5% to 6% where deeds are executed in favour of other persons.

Meanwhile, the state government introduced three more bills in the House - including Hiamchal Pradesh Courts Amendment Bill 2013, Himachal Pradesh Ex-Serviceman Corporation Amendment Bill and Himachal Pradesh Universities of Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry Amendment Bill.

The Ex-Serviceman Corporation Amendment Bill provides for increase in grants to the corporation from Rs 2 crore to Rs 5 crore; shifting of the corporation from Hamirpur to Shimla; and declares the corporation as nodal agency, authorised to deploy ex-servicemen on security duties in the state and the central government departments.